A distributed antenna system (“DAS”) can be used to provide wireless communications coverage in a variety of environments, particularly in large structures such as office buildings, convention halls, airports, stadiums, and the like. A DAS can include one or more head-end units (e.g., master units) that are communicatively coupled to one or more base stations. A DAS can also include multiple remote units that are communicatively coupled to each head-end unit. The remote units, each of which can include one or more transceivers and antennas, can be distributed across a coverage area. The remote units can transmit the downlink signals to mobile phones or other terminal devices within coverage areas serviced by the remote units.
Remote units for a DAS may use large amounts of electrical power and may have a large physical size. For example, the power requirements and size of a remote unit may be increased if the remote unit includes extensive analog circuitry for down-converting or otherwise modifying received analog signals prior to generating a digitized representation of communication channels of interest.
The power requirements and size of a conventional remote unit may also be increased by using multiple RF transceivers in a DAS to transmit and receive signals in multiple frequency bands. For example a remote unit may include a first RF transceiver with associated analog circuitry for communicating signals in an Advanced Mobile Phone System (“AMPS”) band, a second RF transceiver with associated analog circuitry for communicating signals in a Personal Communications Service (“PCS”) band, and a third RF transceiver with associated analog circuitry for communicating signals in an Advanced Wireless Services (“AWS”) band, etc. One or more of the power requirements and physical size of a remote unit may increase costs associated with manufacturing or installing the remote unit.